What I learned from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Willits's Weekly Wonderings Ten (4)
In addition to being the school counselor for our 436 middle school students, I have the privilege of being the coach of many 7th and 8th grade student/athletes, as I coach the 7th grade boys basketball team before Christmas; the 8th grade girls basketball team after Christmas; 7th and 8th grade boys and girls in track (we have over a hundred athletes signed up!); and 7th and 8th grade boys in baseball in the summertime. Something your student has heard me say if they've ever been coached by me is: I love sports; I wish we cared less about them. Sports, I believe, are meant to serve as fertile training ground for the things in life much, much more important than sports--things like relationships, marriages, parenthood, vocations, callings, and families, to name a few. We do it wrong when we idolize sports above these things. I also believe the high value we place on sports robs many students of the benefits offered to them by the sport, which are instead only reaped by those deemed "good enough." This was something reiterated to me this past summer by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most successful basketball players in the history of the NBA. He still ranks first in career points scored. This summer, he was the keynote speaker at the annual American School Counselor's Association conference in Los Angeles, California, which I was able to attend thanks to the support of our awesome school district. The conference didn't quite meet my expectations . . . neither did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's keynote, but those points are for another discussion. He did offer a gem that made me think of you. During his speech (which really wasn't a speech as much as it was an interview), he was asked what we, as educators, should tell those young aspiring athletes who believe they are destined to be in the NBA. Mr. Abdul-Jabbar said (I'm paraphrasing) "There is value in your participation in basketball, even if it doesn't lead you to the NBA." He went onto elaborate all he learned by playing basketball for so many years, which he cited as more valuable than the millions of dollars and/or fame he achieved. He talked at length about the value of participating on a team and the willingness to sacrifice personal desires for the good of a group. This is without mentioning the physical, and thereby physiological, and thereby psychological, and thereby emotional, and thereby social benefits of the physical activity offered by participation in sports, even if you have zero chance of making it to the NBA . . . or earning a college scholarship . . . or winning a state championship . . . or being on the varsity . . . or being on the "A" team. (If they could condense the benefits of regular exercise into a pill (i.e. medicine), it would be the most prescribed medicine in the world!) There is value in your participation! I would further advocate for participation in a variety of activities. As I reflect upon my own school experience, one of the things I am most thankful for is the opportunity I had to participate in multiple activities. It's been years since I've played my trombone or sang tenor in a four-part choir. All the time I spent practicing and playing did not result in my becoming a professional, nor did it result in a college scholarship. But I believe the experience I had making music enhances my life now, as it trained my creative skills, my thinking skills, my collaborative skills, my relational skills, and my "appreciation for music/art" skills (if that's a thing), in addition to time management skills and prioritizing skills. I believe all these skills enhance my ability to be a school counselor, and subsequently earn a living, but of even greater value is the way these skills enhance my life! For example, I cannot watch this video (5:53) without crying. Speaking of crying, yesterday morning, I had the opportunity to listen to our high school and middle school show choirs. Have you seen them? They were amazing! Truth be told, watching those high school students, whose stories I know from our time together in middle school, dance . . . sing . . . create . . . and make music causes in me an emotional stirring similar to the video above. I know some of them have had to overcome and/or are overcoming many obstacles by participating. I believe their participation, similar to mine, will enhance their future in meaningful ways, which is the same thing I tell the athletes I coach. And then later in the day, I read this CPYU** blog post (~3 minute read) and this handout titled Teen Suicide: Warning Signs and Cries for Help (~6 minute read). Unfortunately, the lives of far too many adolescents aren't all fun and games. I believe one of best things we can do for adolescents is make them feel a part of something . . . a team (even if it's the "C" team) . . . a band (even if you're 4th chair) . . . or a choir (even if you never get to sing the solo) and then work to try to do something great together. I love being your student's school counselor. If there is something you would like me to know to do it better, please hit "reply." Grant W. Willits 5-8 School Counselor (712)722-3783 (x2120) **Walt Mueller is a youth pastor and CPYU is an explicitly Christian resource. While his worldview aligns with mine, I don’t presume it aligns with yours and believe his resource offers substantive content for all parents, Christian or otherwise
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